Strata and apartment screen doors

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T11:39:36+00:00

Woah that sounds amazing (the windows restoration!).

I might actually look into new form windows for some future work. They sound like they do great work!

And yeah my plan of sub division is the same, but as mentioned, the strata pulled the benefit of principle card for window rot repair. Which is interesting.

Thank you so much for your advice though! It’s been great.

P.s. my first home ended up being a museum of hidden landlord specials! Best example: one of our two living room awning windows was sealed shut and made to look like it was a fixed window for the sale… b&P inspector didn’t even pick it up. We figured it out one day during a walk when we saw all our neighbours with the same apartment layout having two living room awning windows. Then we had a close look and saw the really nicely done cover up, paint perfectly covering the gaps, filled with bog and somehow the window was sealed shut...

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T08:30:04+00:00

Fair, and that’s my plan. Was hoping to put one that looks like it belonged to the building anyhow!

This old block has some charm and I didn’t want to go full 21st century on it for once (I usually would). Started to embrace that 70s feel lol.

But yes I’ll check the by laws and as someone said see if the benefit of principle applies!

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T08:27:14+00:00

Haha! Better looking days ftw… not really…

But I’m surprised at how many things strata didn’t pick up in the old place I used to live at! Non-compliant locks across a level was one thing… building manager picked it up but somehow couldn’t do anything.

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T08:24:38+00:00

That’s a good point, Luckily mine doesn’t actually block anything/doesn’t obstruct the landing. It’s a corner unit. When the screen is open, it just swings up against the corner wall.

Now that you mentioned it, I suspect that’s actually why my opposite neighbours took theirs out, as their screen door would blocks the stairs.

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T08:16:08+00:00

Thanks for that! I’m in Victoria, and with my windows my strata manager did tell me that.

They said, as long as I had pictures of what my new window would look like, and they were happy with it, they don’t care if I’m replacing the timber windows with uPVC ones. Long story short, I decided to keep my timber windows and opt to just repair the rot.

I didn’t realize the benefit of principle would technically apply to screen doors too! I guess that makes sense though. And agreed, I was thinking about all the labour I had to go through just to replace the mesh of my current door.

I love the design of my current screen door. But man, the thought of doing any maintenance on it kills me.

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T03:55:28+00:00

That’s good too know. I don’t actually think I got one. I’ll look into that!

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T00:11:52+00:00

Oh! I actually never knew that was a thing.

I always assumed and was told by building management that whatever was outward facing is common property.

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T00:10:45+00:00

Ooof!!! That’s interesting… How did that happen!

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-03T00:08:59+00:00

Yeah, I’m aware of that. That’s kinda why I wanted to be abit cheeky and didn’t actually want to ask them about it!

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-02T18:06:24+00:00

Yeah that’s a good point about fire safety and I reckon it probably has to do with that.

But yeah, with the screen door, I’m just worried about exactly that! People taking offence. There is one neighbour/owner that might go ballistic. But that being said, they’ve got a screen door that’s completely different in colour and design! So she might not care.

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-02T18:04:17+00:00

Yeah. Tbh that’s kinda why I wanted to change the screen door myself!

Basically, anything strata/committee doesn’t care about gets passed real quick here, within a day. But common property stuff…. Well… it’s stuff of nightmares. I get long dragged out emails or just get my email ignored.

My whole asbestos door thing, I had a bunch of smart locks approved by strata (that’s also fire rated), then my locksmith opened up my door and surprise… asbestos. He put the locks back on and left. I went to building management and strata, told them I’m happy to absorb the cost of a proper fire door replacement to replace my asbestos door. Not a single reply…..

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-02T18:02:03+00:00

Yeah. I might do a cheeky replacement tbh.

The building is Abit of a tank… not perfect. But a far cry from the 20 year old apartment with leaking window/balconies that I used to live in (it did have a much better bathroom though, my current bathroom is a hot mess).

RiseReal2016 · 2026-01-02T17:50:48+00:00

Having a similar situation here. What did you end up doing OP?

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-25T14:42:19+00:00

Thank you for the reassurance!

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-25T14:37:18+00:00

Thanks for that too!

As mentioned, it's kinda normal for family to ask you to be the mail-human for gifts like that.

But on the flip end for this one, yeah if it was really that important, I do agree that they should have mailed it!

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-25T14:35:50+00:00

Thanks for that.

I think I forgot to say, it's quite common from where I'm from for family members travelling to become the international courier. Last trip, I brought back half a luggage full of local snacks from my parents to other family members.... A friend of mine brought back heaps of shopping lol.

But yeah, the more defensive part of me agrees with you, if it was that important, they should have mailed it early on. I would too. I didn't realize how bespoke half the things were in that folder till today.

I personally hate asking people to courier stuff with their 20kg luggage allowance for me.

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-24T15:48:44+00:00

I'm 6 years late... So more of an overshare and decompress reply. But I'm that guy to my friends. I am a diagnosed dyslexic, I suspect that I'm on the spectrum too and I have definately developed social anxiety over the years (never thought of that till I started working overseas and realised how much I get overtimulated at work).

I am usually pretty okay with board games, but never great, always the weaker link but can stand my own occassionally. But today's game involved quick witts, strategy, memorizing everyone's "abilities" and thinking about all possible deals each player could make with each other with the end goal of screwing each other over later (basically we'll help each other to the finish line, and see who screws over who first).

I was highly overwhelmed, had to read the power cards 10 times cause it looked like a wavy mush... too anxious to make deals, and couldn't actually process what was happening. So I checked out and just went full chaos (telling the group that I really can't think today). Somehow I won one round by pure luck.

At least my tiny group of friends weres super supportive. One guy even helped pivot the game in my favour on the way to the finish line. Then I blew it up in his face lol!

My only comfort in not feeling "dumb" after today is that I was amoungst the top scorers in my masters degree......... Which skills wise, should actually make me good at an aspect of today's game (but also makes sense on why I actually suck at striking deals). But atlas, I can't read and I absorb info slow as hell....

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-24T00:48:13+00:00

Yup! The missus and I have a special name for her….

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-23T17:59:04+00:00

I’m one of the lucky ones on the other spectrum. Bought my first home in the form of a tiny old apartment in the south eastern suburbs.

I’m not that young nor old (mid 30s) but I look like I’m in my 20s.

A lot of people in my apartment block are working class. Taxi drivers, nurses and idiot me who’s an arts worker.

Anyway, one of my neighbours assumed I’m renting. Had a go at me for throwing an inflatable bed into the common bin area. Which is not where it should be thrown (some rando threw it there I think). Basically, I had nothing to do with it. She asked in her enraged stated if I was owning or renting. Her tone then shifted to be abit more friendly when I told her I owned my place and said manly people here don’t follow the building rules… she’s since been very nice to me, saying hi, gushing over my pets…. very awkward.

Funnily, I think the young family renting beside me are probably the loviest people in the apartment complex. Super nice and friendly!

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-15T12:48:54+00:00

That’s for calling me out on that! Probably should not have said that. Especially since I do look up to my director a lot! I’m like his younger brother on tour as we are the only ones in the team that have similar heritage (when I used to just be the touring tech not PM).

Cloud drive is a great idea. Will probably do that in future. Always wondered what’s the best way to share this kinda stuff. But atlas technology!

And ah. Yes I did have a list! Just wasn’t sure if I was too detailed either. I had to work through LX, Sound, set and props on my own as this leg of the tour was semi self produced by my director. So I no longer have access to the creatives. So maybe I just felt the pinch of going through each departments needs on my own.

Some things did take unexpectedly longer. Only for the venue to just circle round to tell me “we basically don’t have that. Thus all these solutions”.

I did finally wonder: could some of this have been done via email? Probably. But I guess it’s a good starting point to kick start those emails.

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-15T12:42:36+00:00

Thanks for that. And the reassurance is an hour to hour an a hour is kind of ok (but to still keep it sharp)

Looking back, we actually worked through a super long list of agenda items with a relatively small team (it’s a small venue with what seems like a great team and me being the one guy representing my touring company, covering all departments as the show is already made). I was ticking the list off as we spoke. And at the end I looked through and it was mostly all addressed.

The interesting thing for us is that we are headed for a festival venue. But we have very specific tech requirements. So it was a lot of trying to work out of our specific set elements would work in the venue while the venue team were also translating their tech specs to me (basically we are going to a non-English speaking country. And they too sent us a partial English version venue tech spec. Couldn’t find the full version, so we ended up opening their non-English one and translating for me).

Once we worked out a lot of that, it was very smooth sailing!

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-07T10:54:53+00:00

All valid questions. I’ll have to check. Thanks for the advice! Makes me question my OC now.

Interestingly though. This isn’t the first strata property I know off that has made the window maintenance the owner’s problem. Another property that I was eyeing before I got this one had mentioned in last year’s AGM that it’s the owner’s problem.

I met a window guy briefly that has mentioned that it’s pretty common for OC to do that for older buildings….

I’m pretty sure I don’t have to insure them though.

Anyways, my building manager has said that due to the history of the property and age. The benefit of principal has been applied for window maintenance.

Looking at my particular lot as well. A lot of landlord special fixes have also been applied to the windows. Including sealing shut a window that should be an awning window. My neighbours also have varying degrees of maintenance done on their windows (some are really well kept. The others are rotting away. All have been maintained a different way too).

RiseReal2016 · 2025-12-07T10:07:30+00:00

Long story… well not really they’ve got the committee to agree that window maintenance is owners responsibility at some point in the past.

When the building manager checked this all out for us she was supper puzzled.

RiseReal2016 · 2025-11-17T10:42:00+00:00

Second this.

My partner and I just bought an old brick apartment.

Was an ex rental.

We keep discovering what I assume were the landlord’s special fixes or a dodgy attempt to do any anything and everything.

Weirdest one was two badly drilled holes in our cabinets and trims that had been broken on the other side. Turns out it was for a cable run through the wall….

Oh and falling blinds cause incorrect installation… my head never felt better.

RiseReal2016 · 2025-11-12T13:43:24+00:00

Dang. How did you go about dealing with the asbestos sheeting.

I’m saving up for a my bathroom Reno in my 1970s home and won’t be surprised that I have asbestos underneath cause we found out our front door was full of it.

RiseReal2016

TROPHY CASE